


Brand New Ending

by catatonic1242



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 10 Years of Castiel, 10 Years of DeanCas, 10 Years of Destiel, Castiel in the Bunker, Castiel/Dean Winchester in the Bunker, DeanCasVersary, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker, Sam Ships It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 19:30:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16024484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catatonic1242/pseuds/catatonic1242
Summary: The 10th anniversary is the aluminum anniversary.





	Brand New Ending

**Author's Note:**

> Written in celebration of 10 years of Destiel - September 18, 2008 - September 18, 2018. Though, let's be honest, it was mostly an excuse for me to write this sentence: _Dean has gone back to polishing his ball._
> 
> " _Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending_." - Carl Bard
> 
> Find me on [tumblr.](https://catatonic1242.tumblr.com/)

“Hey, Cas,” Dean says, dropping the shopping bags on the kitchen counter. It’s the first time Dean’s been out of the bunker alone since ejecting Michael a few weeks prior, and he seems downright… _happy._ He even whistles an unidentifiable tune as he puts the groceries away.

“Dean,” Cas says from his seat at the kitchen table. “You’re in a good mood.”

“Sun is shining, birds are singing, I’m alone in my own head. What’s not to be happy about?” Dean unloads the last of the bags and grabs a beer. Popping the top, he says, “You sticking around for dinner? I’m cooking.” He turns and smiles wide at Cas.

Despite the fact that eating is unnecessary for him, Cas can’t say no. Not that he would want to. “Sure,” he answers.

“Good,” Dean says, nodding his head as he leaves the kitchen. “Good.”

*****

When Cas wanders back into the kitchen later that afternoon, it smells of roast chicken. Dean is standing at the stove, humming and stirring the contents of a pot.

“Where is Sam?” Cas asks.

“Hmmm?” Dean says, barely looking up from his cooking. “Oh, he went out. Won’t be back until late. It’s just you and me tonight.” Dean finally looks up and smiles at Cas, but the expression is slightly more pinched than it was earlier.

Dean insists that they eat in the library, even though Cas would be perfectly fine at the kitchen table. “No, man. Roast chicken,” Dean says by way of explanation. “That’s not a ‘kitchen table’ meal.”

Cas was unaware that certain foods could not be eaten at certain tables, but he nods his head in silent agreement and follows Dean out, carrying two beers and the silverware while Dean takes the plates.

They eat in what is mostly congenial silence. Dean occasionally asks Cas what he thinks about the food, and Cas always nods enthusiastically. Dean makes a bit of idle chatter - if Cas didn’t know better, he would almost say that Dean was nervous. But he knows better, so he chalks it up to being part of Dean’s ongoing recovery.

When the meal is done, Dean pushes his plate back and puts his elbows on the table in front of him.

“So, Cas,” he begins, then stops.

Cas waits an appropriate amount of time for Dean to continue, and when he doesn’t, Cas prompts, “Yes, Dean?”

Dean stares across the table at him for a long time. Finally, he blinks, shakes his head and pushes back his chair. “Thanks for dinner,” Dean says, hurrying to pick up the dirty plates. He disappears into the kitchen.

“You’re… welcome?” Cas says to no one.

*****

Cas is reading a book at the Map Room table when Sam returns to the bunker. When the front door swings open, Cas looks up at the balcony to greet him. “Hello, Sam.”

Sam makes a startled face as he heads down the stairs toward Cas. “Hey… Cas.”

Cas narrows his eyes at Sam. “You seem surprised to see me,” he says.

“I’m just…” Sam shakes his head and starts again. “How was dinner?”

Cas nods thoughtfully. “The chicken was a little dry,” he explains, “but I didn’t mention that to Dean. He can be sensitive about his cooking. And he seemed to enjoy it.”

Sam blinks at him. “You. What?” he asks, running one hand through his hair.

“There were also mashed potatoes,” Cas adds, cringing a little at the memory. “I find the texture of mashed potatoes slightly off-putting, don’t you? I want to chew, but there isn’t anything to chew.”

“Cas,” Sam says, putting on hand firmly on Cas’s shoulder. “Did anything… happen at dinner?”

“Such as?” Cas asks, puzzled.

“Oh my god. Dean, you are such an idiot,” Sam says, rolling his eyes. He sits down in the chair next to Cas and puts his elbows on his knees. His face is serious, almost stern. “Cas, lemme tell you something.”

*****

Fifteen minutes later, Cas knocks on the door of Dean’s bedroom. “Yeah?” Dean’s voice sounds.

Cas opens the door carefully.

Dean is sitting at his desk, sanding the aluminum foil ball he’s been working on. It started as a joke, just an activity that Sam offered up to help keep Dean busy while he was recovering from the injuries that Michael had inflicted. But Dean took it seriously, hammering and compacting the ball with progressively smaller mallets until he had a perfectly round but dull metal ball. Then he started working on it with sandpaper, obsessively polishing and buffing it.

“Dean…” Cas says, and Dean glances up. Cas clears his throat. “Was that an…  anniversary dinner?”

Dean drops the sandpaper he’s been holding and it flutters under the desk. He looks away from Cas. “What?” Dean pushes his chair back and grabs for the paper. “No.” He grunts, unable to reach it, and sticks his head under the desk. His voice comes out muffled as he continues, “Of course not… Why would you think that?” When he moves to sit back up, Dean bangs the back of his head on the underside of the desk, curses and rubs at it, all without making eye contact.

Cas feels stupid - obviously, either Sam misinterpreted something or Cas misinterpreted Sam. Either way, he’s clearly made Dean uncomfortable, so Cas backs a step out of the room. “Oh, I’m sorry, I was mistaken. Sam indicated… Well, he said it was ten years since we met. I thought that perhaps - I apologize.”

Dean has gone back to polishing his ball. “No big deal, man,” he says, shrugging.

Cas closes the door behind him on the way out.

*****

Two hours later, Cas is sitting in the bunker’s spare bedroom, translating an old text for Sam when he hears footsteps in the hall. They approach his room, then turn away, then approach again and hesitate. Finally, Cas looks up to see Dean in the doorway.

Dean opens his mouth once, then closes it with a click. When he finally speaks, the words rush out in a near-jumble. “Cas. I lied.”

Cas takes a moment to process that, then asks, “About what?”

Dean ducks his head. His cheeks and the tips of his ears are turning red. “It was,” he bites out, “an anniversary dinner.”

Cas can’t think of a more appropriate thing to say than, “Oh.”  

Dean shifts his weight from foot to foot, fidgeting. He hasn’t moved from the doorway, as if the floor inside the room would somehow attack him if he stepped inside. “It’s stupid,” he says.

Cas stands up from his seat and walks over to Dean, who still won’t look at him. “No, it’s not,” Cas says softly.

“Yeah, it is,” Dean sighs, like he has resigned himself to some horrible fate. “But I’m apparently doing stupid shit today, so here.” He digs in the pocket of his jeans and pulls out a small silver-colored ring. He holds it out to Cas.

“What’s… this?” Cas says, looking at the ring pinched between Dean’s thumb and forefinger.

Dean shakes his head emphatically and thrusts the ring at Cas. “Please don’t make me explain it, okay? Just…”

“Okay,” Cas says, plucking the ring from Dean’s outstretched hand. Cas looks down at it - it’s lighter than he would have expected, and the surface, though very shiny, is visibly crackled. But the ring is smooth, inside and out.

Because he’s looking down, Cas doesn’t notice that Dean has silently closed the distance between them. When he finally looks up, Dean leans forward and captures Cas’s mouth with his own.

They kiss for a long time, and Cas doesn’t ask for any explanations.

*****

Cas asks Sam later, and Sam tells him about the custom of associating certain materials with anniversaries. After that, Cas wears the hand-polished tinfoil ring every day.


End file.
